More than half of pediatric rheumatology fellowship slots unfilled on Match Day 2024
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Only 49.1% of available pediatric rheumatology fellowship slots were filled for 2025 on this year’s Match Day, representing a sharper drop-off for the specialty after years of trickling declines.
Twenty-eight of 55 total pediatric rheumatology positions went unfilled on Fellowship Match Day on Dec. 5, according to the National Resident Matching Program. A total of 61.5% of pediatric rheumatology fellowships slots were filled for 2024, down from 62.8% in 2023 and 69% in 2022.
“Unfortunately, our subspecialty saw a decrease in the number of fellowship positions and programs that were filled despite continued interests in our field and the recognized unmet clinical, research and advocacy needs of childhood-onset rheumatic conditions,” Ekemini Ogbu, MD, MSc, chair of the American College of Rheumatology’s committee on pediatric rheumatology, said in a release from ACR.
Across all pediatric specialties, 77.5% of fellowship slots were filled. A total of 30 applicants stated a preference for pediatric rheumatology, of whom one was matched to a different specialty and three did not match to any program.
In response to the declining pediatric fellowship numbers, ACR is reviewing its workforce pipeline initiatives and working toward partnerships with pediatric associations and other specialties to “meet shared workforce challenges and goals,” according to the release.
“Despite the overall lower-than-expected numbers, we are delighted to welcome 27 physicians to pediatric rheumatology,” Ogbu said. “Their commitment to the specialty is a tremendous benefit of the children and young adults we serve. The ACR and the pediatric rheumatology community remain firmly committed to tackling the issues and providing care for our vulnerable pediatric and young adult population.”
As in previous years, nearly all adult rheumatology slots were filled, with only three positions unmatched out of 287. Interest exceeded capacity, with a total of 365 applicants expressing a preference for adult rheumatology fellowships.
“This year’s match results signal continued interest in the specialty, with 284 out of 287 positions filled,” Beth Jonas, MD, chair of the ACR’s workforce solutions steering committee, said in the release. “It is also encouraging to see that the number of available programs was filled to near capacity at 97% — 129 out of 132 — suggesting that the demand for adult rheumatology programs is increasing, and there may be opportunities to develop more.”
References:
Match Results Statistics, Medicine and Pediatric Specialties – 2024. https://www.nrmp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MPSM-MRS-Report-2024.pdf. Published Dec. 4, 2024. Accessed Dec. 5, 2024.
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